Constitution Day

A Closer Look at the Constitution

In honor of Constitution Day, Teaching with Primary Sources brings you an interactive look at the Constitution like you have never seen before by clicking on the links directly below this paragraph. You will be able to get up close and personal with this incredible document all from the comforts of your web browser. All that you need is to have Adobe's Flash Player installed (and you most likely do!) on your computer. This will allow you to zoom into the document and see with incredible detail. You will also be able to navigate throughout the document and click on "hotspots," links that will take you to additional information.

Printing the Constitution

We are also providing a look at the delegates responsible for bringing the Constitution to life. Did you know not all the delegates signed the Constitution? To find out which men did, be sure to visit "Faces Behind the Constitution."

If you would like to download and print a copy of each page of the Constitution (and the Bill of Rights), you can do so by clicking one of the links below. The documents are in PDF and require Adobe's free Adobe Reader (you may have this on your computer already.) If you are on a slow internet connection, please be aware of the file size of the documents. These are high quality documents and are of larger file size.

About Constitution Day

Constitution Day is the creation of Senator Robert C. Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat and the United States Congress unofficial constitutional scholar. Senator Byrd believed that "American primary, secondary, and post-secondary students lack significant knowledge regarding the United States Constitution." Senator Byrd proposed an amendment that passed both the United States House of Representatives and Senate in an attempt to increase constitutional knowledge in December of 2004.

The amendment requires that all educational institutions that receive federal funds implement educational programs relating to the United States Constitution on September 17th of each year. September 17th (1787) also happens to be the date in which the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the Constitution and present it to the American public.